Podcasts about aegis trust

Rwandans have been remembering victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in which more than a million people, mainly Tutsi, were massacred by Hutu militias. This year's anniversary comes as Rwanda faces accusations of backing M23 rebels in eastern DRC. DW talks to Freddy Mutanguha CEO of the Aegis Trust, an international organization working to prevent genocide and Alex Ngarambe in Kigali.

Welcome to "The Brand Called You" podcast! In this powerful episode, our host Ashutosh Garg sits down with Freddy Mutanguha, the CEO of Aegis Trust and Director of the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Freddy shares his harrowing personal experiences as a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, shedding light on the crucial stages that lead to such atrocities, the importance of remembrance, and the transformative power of forgiveness and reconciliation. Join us as we delve into Rwanda's rich culture and natural beauty, learning about its resurgence as one of the safest and most technologically advanced nations. Discover the lessons that history offers us and the steps we can take to prevent future genocides. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

Freddy Mutanguha, who is the CEO of the Aegis Trust – the organization that built the Kigali Genocide Memorial – describes surviving the genocide, and visiting the childhood friend who murdered his mother in prison. Woven into Freddy's story are poems that Rwandan art activist and author Hope Azeda wrote about speaking to children about the genocide. Dr. Pamela Wadende describes the scientific mechanics behind forgiveness, and her experience of Rwanda. And Rwandan songwriter Peace Jolis shares a brand-new song called “BAHO.”SongWriterPodcast.comTwitter.com/SnogWriterFacebook.com/SongWriterPodcastInstagram.com/SongWriterPodcastTikTok.com/@SongWriterPodcastSeason six is made possible by a grant from Templeton World Charity Foundation

In our last episode, we met Rwandan leader Freddy Mutanguha, who shared his remarkable journey to finding meaning and forgiveness after dozens of his family members, including his parents and sisters, were murdered during the genocide against the Tutsis in 1994. Freddy's powerful and timely testimony underscored the importance of truth, remembrance, and community organizing in helping genocide victims — and perpetrators — find healing and peace.   Today we hear again from Freddy Mutanguha, and from Dr. Elizabeth Dowling, about what she's learned from her research collaboration with Freddy and his team at the Aegis Trust, which works to prevent genocide and mass atrocities worldwide, and its projects supporting reconciliation across Rwanda, including the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Dr. Dowling shares how a nation with a recent history of polarization and violence has become a model for peace-making. Read the transcript of this episode Learn more about the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Aegis Trust Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

 Today's episode offers a powerful example of courage, peace, and forgiveness. Our story looks back thirty years, to one of the most violent periods in modern history — the genocide against the Tutsi — and to the resilience and wisdom of the Rwandan spirit and heart. On April 6, 1994, beautiful Rwanda, known as the Land of a Thousand Hills, became a hell on Earth. Between April and July 1994, hundreds of thousands of Rwandans were slaughtered in a horrifying frenzy of state-sponsored terror. Freddy Mutanguha, an ethnic Tutsi, was just eighteen years old when the genocide began. Today, Freddy shares the story of his unimaginable losses, the miracle of his survival, and his life's work nurturing peace, forgiveness, and reconciliation in his country and across the world.  Read the transcript of this episode Learn more about the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Aegis Trust Subscribe to Stories of Impact wherever you listen to podcasts Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Share your comments, questions and suggestions at info@storiesofimpact.org Supported by Templeton World Charity Foundation

This conversation with Freddy Mutanguha is all about peace education and what it takes for neighbors to heal from generations of violence, discrimination and weaponized rhetoric. Freddy is CEO of the Aegis Trust and Director of the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Freddy led the development of Aegis' peace education programme in Rwanda and is now leading Aegis' work to take this model beyond the borders of Rwanda to areas at risk, including the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Kenya. He is also a survivor of the Genocide Against the Tutsis. He was a teenager in 1994 when his parents and most of his siblings were killed. He has dedicated his life to teaching about the impact of the Genocide and the importance of forgiveness as way of post-conflict reconstruction.For more about Barak Sella and to read the episode transcript, visit: https://alongtheseam.com/freddy-mutanguhaFor more from Rachael and Along The  Seam, sign up for the Along The Seam newsletter.

From the depths of unimaginable tragedy emerged an inspiring tale of resilience and reconciliation. Rwanda, scarred by the horrors of genocide in 1994, embarked on a remarkable journey of healing and renewal. At the heart of this transformation lies the tireless efforts of organisations like the Aegis Trust, led by individuals such as Glen Ford. Through their dedication to genocide prevention, education, and survivor support, Rwanda found a path towards healing its wounds and fostering a future of hope. Join us as we delve into Rwanda's incredible story of overcoming adversity and embracing the power of forgiveness. [00:40] - About Glen Ford Glen is the Director of Aegis Trust.  He joined Aegis Trust in 2004 as a volunteer.  He gave up his corporate management career later that year to support the development of Aegis Trust. His professional background is in business management, with a 30 year career, working in the UK and internationally. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/tbcy/support

Episode 137 features Freddy Mutanguha, an inspiring individual with a profound personal history and a deep commitment to promoting peace and preventing genocide. Born in Burundi in 1976 and later moving to Rwanda, Freddy's life was significantly impacted by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He survived this tragic event, but lost most of his family, a turning point that fueled his dedication to human rights and peace education.   Freddy is the CEO of Aegis Trust, an organization devoted to preventing genocide through education, research, and advocacy. Under his leadership, Aegis Trust established the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda, a crucial site for remembrance and education about the genocide. His efforts extend beyond Rwanda, as he's played a pivotal role in promoting peace education across several African countries.   Freddy's academic and professional achievements are notable. He holds an MBA from Maastricht University, has been recognized as a prominent human rights activist, and serves in various influential roles, including as the Chair of the Board of Miracle Corner Rwanda and as an External Advisor to the USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archives.   In his role with Aegis Trust, Freddy continues to be a leading voice in the fight against genocide, making a significant impact not just in East Africa but globally.   - Engagement and Feedback: - Share your thoughts with us via innovationhub@cwsglobal.org. - Follow, like and share our Walk Talk Listen podcast (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) and Maurice A. Bloem (Twitter and Instagram). - Visit 100mile.org and explore our special WTL series "Enough for All" about CWS.   - Music and Social Media: - Discover songs picked by our guests on our Spotify playlist #walktalklisten or click here. - Connect with Freddy Mutanguha and Aegis Trust on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Dr Kapila has extensive experience in global and public health,  international development, humanitarian affairs, conflict and security issues, human rights, diplomacy, and social entrepreneurship, with substantive leadership roles in government, United Nations system and multilateral agencies, International Red Cross and Red Crescent, civil society, and academia. His work has taken him to some 120 countries in all continents. Originally schooled in India and England, Dr Kapila graduated in medicine from the University of Oxford and received postgraduate qualifications in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.   Since 2012, Dr Kapila has been the Professor (now Emeritus) of Global Health & Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Manchester, UK, where he also founded and chaired the Manchester Global Foundation.  Since 2020, he is also Senior Adviser to the Parliamentary Assembly for the Mediterranean, the principal forum for 29 national parliaments of the Euro-Mediterranean region, deliberating on the creation of the best political, social, economic and cultural environment for fellow citizens of member states. He also serves as an adviser on several international bodies, including on the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Antimicrobial Resistance for the World Health Organization. After an initial clinical career (1980-1984) in hospitals and general practice in Cambridge,  and then in public health (1984-1990), including initiating and leading the first National UK HIV/AIDS Programme, Dr Kapila joined what is now called the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in 1990 where he oversaw British aid health programmes in Asia and Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, followed by a spell based in Central and Southern Africa.   Dr Kapila was seconded by the UK Government to the United Nations in 2002-03, initially as Special Adviser to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan and then to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.  He then became the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Sudan (2003-04), leading what was, at the time, the UN's biggest operation in the world. In 2004, he arrived at the headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva as Director of Emergency Response, handling major operations such as the Indian Ocean Tsunami.   In 2006, he joined the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,  the world's largest humanitarian and development network serving in different roles such as Special Representative of the Secretary General, Director of Policy and Planning, and finally as Undersecretary General where he oversaw several transformations and strategic interventions to scale-up programming.   Dr Kapila has also served in many policy advisory roles, conducted strategic reviews and formulated new programmes with several other international agencies such as the World Bank, UNAIDS, International Labour Organization, UN OCHA and ISDR, as well as served on the Boards of the UN Institute for Training and Research, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, and the International Peace Academy. He was an early member of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination System.    He returned to the United Nations in 2015-2016 to serve as Special Adviser for the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, and then in 2018-2019 to found and direct the innovative Defeat-NCD Partnership at the UN.     Additionally, he has been active in several civil society groups including chairing the Council of Minority Rights Group International, and chairing the Board of Nonviolent Peaceforce that was nominated for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. He has initiated new initiatives on sexual and gender based violence and, as Special Representative of the Aegis Trust,  on the prevention of genocide and other crimes against humanity.  These came out of his personal experiences in witnessing, at first hand, the genocidal atrocities in Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Darfur. Dr Kapila has been a public motivational  and keynote speaker at numerous events including at TedX, and delivered in Nairobi in 2013, the memorial lecture in honour of Nobel Prize winning environmental activist Wangari Maathai.  He has written extensively and served on editorial boards of several publications such as Global Governance and the International Journal of Humanitarian Studies. His memoir “Against a Tide of Evil” was nominated for the 2013 Best Non-Fiction Book award by the Crime Writers Association. His latest book (2019) is entitled “No Stranger to Kindness”.  Some of his other writings can be accessed on his website.   www.mukeshkapila.org Twitter @mukeshkapila

Today I have got the honor of talking to Dr. Mukesh Kapila about the Israel-Hamas war and the wider situation within the Middle East.  Dr Kapila has extensive experience in global and public health,  international development, humanitarian affairs, conflict and security issues, human rights, diplomacy, and social entrepreneurship, with substantive leadership roles in government, United Nations system and multilateral agencies, International Red Cross and Red Crescent, civil society, and academia. His work has taken him to some 120 countries in all continents. Originally schooled in India and England, Dr Kapila graduated in medicine from the University of Oxford and received postgraduate qualifications  in public health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.   Since 2012, Dr Kapila has been the Professor (now Emeritus) of Global Health & Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Manchester, UK where he also founded and chaired the Manchester Global Foundation.  Since 2020, he is also Senior Adviser to the Parliamentary Assembly for the Mediterranean, the principal forum for 29 national parliaments of the Euro-Mediterranean region deliberating on the creation of the best political, social, economic and cultural environment for fellow citizens of member states. He also serves as adviser on several international bodies including on the Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Antimicrobial Resistance for the World Health Organization. After an initial clinical career (1980-1984) in hospitals and general practice in Cambridge,  and then in public health (1984-1990) including initiating and leading the first National UK HIV/AIDS Programme, Dr Kapila joined what is now called the UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in 1990 where he oversaw British aid health programmes in Asia and Pacific, Latin America and Caribbean, followed by a spell based in Central and Southern Africa.   Dr Kapila was seconded by the UK Government to the United Nations in 2002-03 initially as Special Adviser to the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General in Afghanistan and then to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.  He then became the United Nations' Resident and Humanitarian Co-ordinator for Sudan (2003-04) leading what was at the time, the UN's biggest operation in the world.  in 2004, he arrived at the headquarters of the World Health Organization in Geneva as Director for Emergency Response handling major operations such as for the Indian Ocean Tsunami.   In 2006, he joined the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies,  the world's largest humanitarian and development network serving in different roles such as Special Representative of the Secretary General, Director of Policy and Planning, and finally as Undersecretary General where he oversaw several transformations and strategic interventions to scale-up programming.   Dr Kapila has also served in many policy advisory roles, conducted strategic reviews and formulated new programmes with several other international agencies such as the World Bank, UNAIDS, International Labour Organization, UN OCHA and ISDR, as well as served on the Boards of the UN Institute for Training and Research, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, and  the International Peace Academy. He was an early member of the UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination System.    He returned to the United Nations in 2015-2016 to serve as Special Adviser for the first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, and then in 2018-2019 to found and direct the innovative Defeat-NCD Partnership at the UN.     Additionally, he has been active in several civil society groups including chairing the Council of Minority Rights Group International, and chairing the Board of Nonviolent Peaceforce that was nominated for the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize. He has initiated new initiatives on sexual and gender based violence and, as Special Representative of the Aegis Trust,  on the prevention of genocide and other crimes against humanity.  These came out of his personal experiences in witnessing, at first hand, the genocidal atrocities in Rwanda, Srebrenica, and Darfur. Dr Kapila has been a public motivational  and keynote speaker at numerous events including at TedX, and delivered in Nairobi in 2013, the memorial lecture in honour of Nobel Prize winning environmental activist Wangari Maathai.  He has written extensively and served on editorial boards of several publications such as Global Governance and the International Journal of Humanitarian Studies. His memoir “Against a Tide of Evil” was nominated for the 2013 Best Non-Fiction Book award by the Crime Writers Association. His latest book (2019) is entitled “No Stranger to Kindness”.  Some of his other writings can be accessed on his website.   www.mukeshkapila.org Twitter @mukeshkapila

Ep 463 - Working Towards Ending Genocide Guest: Dr James Smith By Stuart McNish “More than 60% of the population of Rwanda was born after the genocide in 1994. They feel its effects, but have little knowledge of what caused it to happen,” says Dr. James Smith of Aegis Trust.  The ravages of genocide tear familes, communities and societies apart. Smith adds, “It takes decades of reconciliation, peace-building and support to repair the damage done, and constant vigilance to ensure it does not happen again.” Central to ensuring it doesn't happen again is the need to help people who have no concept of peace or how to plan to start to envision a future. Dr. Smith says, “The victims of genocide spent years focused on the minutes ahead of them, relying on their wits to stay alive. Tomorrow, next week, next month never existed, so there was no need to plan or work toward a better future.” Since 2008, Aegis' peace-building education program has reached  thousands of young Rwandans – a “Peace Education” program that is changing attitudes and behaviour among students and their communities. We invited Dr James Smith from Aegis Trust to join us from Kigali,  Rwanda for a Conversation That Matters about working toward the prediction, prevention and ultimate elimination of genocide. Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca   Join me Oct 3 for Conversations Live - A Vancouver Sun Town Hall: AI - Friend or Foe https://www.conversationslive.ca/

Welcome to Episode Four of Peace at Risk in Bosnia.In the first three episodes of the podcast, released as a series in December 2021, Aegis looked at the roots, context and potential solutions for the current crisis in Bosnia, where secessionist moves by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik threaten a return to violence almost three decades after the Dayton Peace Accords ended war and genocide in the country. In this episode, with Russia's war on Ukraine looming in the background, Doctor Emir Suljagić, genocide survivor and the director of the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Centre, brings us up to speed on recent Dodik's efforts. We get perspective from political scientist Jasmin Mujanović on the influence of Moscow and its proxies in the region, and hear from British MP Fleur Anderson, Member of Parliament for Putney and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Genocide Prevention, which is administered by the Aegis Trust. Finally, we hear from Velma Šarić and Tatjana Milovanović at the Sarajevo-based peacebuilding NGO the Post Conflict Research Center.The episode begins, however, with Hasan Hasanović, a survivor of the genocide at Srebrenica, who is now head of oral history at the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Centre. Hasanović uses his own experience to explain why the Memorial, and the work of peace education in Bosnia, are “beyond crucial.”Support the show

Rachael Cerrotti sits down in Los Angeles with oral historian Stephen D. Smith who co-created The Memory Generation for a conversation about testimony and the retelling of war-torn memories. For 12 years, Stephen served as the Finci-Viterbi Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation, the archive founded by Steven Spielberg to document the Holocaust and genocide. He recently left  that role to be the Executive Chairman and co-founder of StoryFile, the world's first AI conversational video platform that brings video alive. In addition, Stephen founded the UK Holocaust Centre in England, cofounded the Aegis Trust for the prevention of crimes against humanity and genocide and was the project director responsible for the creation of the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre in Rwanda. He is a theologian by training, has authored several books, produced several documentary films and was the inaugural UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education. 

Welcome to Episode Three of Peace at Risk in Bosnia, a three-part podcast by the Aegis Trust exploring the present crisis which threatens a return to violence 26 years after the Dayton Peace Accords ended war and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this third and final episode, we consider what the solutions might be; both for preventing an immediate explosion of violence, and for defusing the fear, hostility and unresolved wounds of the past which make conflict possible in the first place.Narrated by Aegis founder and CEO James Smith, with contributors Emir Suljagić (Director of the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Center), Tatjana Milovanović  (Program Director for the Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo), Hikmet Karčić (Genocide Scholar and Senior Researcher at the Institute for Islamic Tradition of Bosniaks in Sarajevo) and Jasmin Mujanović (political scientist and analyst of southeast European and international affairs).Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/aegistrust )

Welcome to Episode Two of Peace at Risk in Bosnia, a three-part podcast by the Aegis Trust exploring the present crisis which threatens a return to violence 26 years after the Dayton Peace Accords ended war and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In this episode we find out how Bosnia's complex constitution, formed by the Dayton Peace Accords, has become an obstacle to the country's development. We also explore the wider geopolitical context for Bosnia's problems being ignored or exploited by politicians and governments, both in the region and around the World. Narrated by Aegis founder and CEO James Smith, with contributors Emir Suljagić (Director of the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Center), Tatjana Milovanović  (Program Director for the Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo), Hikmet Karčić (Genocide Scholar and Senior Researcher at the Institute for Islamic Tradition of Bosniaks in Sarajevo) and Jasmin Mujanović (political scientist and analyst of southeast European and international affairs).Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/aegistrust )

Welcome to Episode One of Peace at Risk in Bosnia, a three-part podcast by the Aegis Trust exploring the present crisis which threatens a return to violence 26 years after the Dayton Peace Accords ended war and genocide in Bosnia and Herzegovina.In this episode, we learn how Bosnia faces a heightened risk of return to armed conflict following an intent expressed by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to break the Dayton Peace Accords by re-establishing the Army of Republika Srpska. We also learn about the roots of the crisis in the conflict and genocide of the 1990s, and find out about some of its effects on the series contributors themselves.Narrated by Aegis founder and CEO James Smith, with contributors Emir Suljagić (Director of the Srebrenica Genocide Memorial Center), Tatjana Milovanović (Program Director for the Post-Conflict Research Center in Sarajevo), Hikmet Karčić (Genocide Scholar and Senior Researcher at the Institute for Islamic Tradition of Bosniaks in Sarajevo), and Jasmin Mujanović (political scientist and analyst of southeast European and international affairs).Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/aegistrust )

In this episode of "Technically Human," I sit down with Dr. Steven Smith, the director USC's New Dimensions in Holocaust Testimony.   We talk about the ethics of memory, testimony, and witness, and how these fundamental concepts are being radically changed by developing technologies. Steven explains the ethics of Holocaust witness in the digital age and how a new interactive program that enlists virtual technologies may allow Holocaust testimony to remain vivified for generations to come. How should we think about the reality of virtual survivors? How is our basic concept of "witness"  transformed by new technologies? And what does  "memory" mean in our current digital age? Dr. Stephen D. Smith is the Finci -Viterbi Executive Director of USC Shoah Foundation, and holds the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education. Smith founded the UK Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire, England and cofounded the Aegis Trust for the prevention of crimes against humanity and genocide. Smith has served as a producer on a number of film and new media projects, including Dimensions in Testimony, and the VR project The Last Goodbye. He also co-hosts the MemoryGeneration podcast, alongside documentary storyteller Rachael Cerrotti, a show that explores dimensions of testimony from survivors of genocide. In recognition of his work, Smith has become a member of the Order of the British Empire and received the Interfaith Gold Medallion. He also holds two honorary doctorates, and lectures widely on issues relating to the history and collective response to the Holocaust, genocide, and crimes against humanity. New Dimensions in Testimony is a collection of interactive video testimonies from the USC Shoah Foundation, enabling people to engage with Holocaust survivors and other witnesses to genocide, by asking questions and conversing. It is the subject of the Academy-Award nominated documentary film, 116 Cameras. This episode was produced by Mereck Palazzo & Matt Perry. Art by Desi Aleman. This episode is dedicated to Izzy Arbeiter.

“Going into every situation anticipating that there's going to be something that you will learn whether you are going to use it right away or not.” Coexistence requires that individuals respect and treat others with the dignity that they deserve. This means that civility is a fundamental component in the progress of any society. At its core, civility transcends the mannerisms, courteousness or politeness of individuals and includes how people impact others in their behavior and speech. Our guest today, Dr. Lew Bayer believes that “Civility is its own reward” and suggests that “In choosing civility, people find their best self, and in doing so, they experience the grace, courage, generosity, humanity, and humility that civility engenders.” Lewena Bayer has been in the civility space for more than 20 years and has an international recognition as the leading expert on civility at work. With a focus on social intelligence and culturally-competent communication, the team at Civility Experts Inc – which includes 501 affiliates in 48 countries, has supported 100's of organizations in building better workplaces. In addition to her role as CEO of international civility training group Civility Experts Inc. which includes The Civility Speakers Bureau and Propriety Publishing, Lew is Chair of the International Civility Trainers' Consortium, President of The Center for Organizational Cultural Competence, and Founder of the In Good Company Etiquette Academy Franchise Group. Most recently, Lew was selected as an International Advocate for Aegis Trust, a UK based organization focused on peace education and the prevention of genocide. She is also an Education Chair for www.globalgoodwillambassadors.org. Recently, Dr. Bayer has been assigned the privilege of being named Ambassador of Global Knowledge Exchange and a Master Educator in Global Teachers Academy. In today's episode, we will be discussing the role civility plays in building better work places as well as communities. Our guest will also talk more about the importance of being thoughtful and embracing differences. Listen in! Social media Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dr-lewena-bayer-hon-234b7a11 Website: www.ingoodcompanyetiquette.com Website: www.Highstyleimage.com   Civility is a measurable competency. [3:45] We put it under this category of soft skills because historically that is where communication and ability to do well in social settings fit. [3:48] Increasingly civility fits under the umbrella of relational skills. [4:04] It generally incorporates social intelligence, cultural competence, systems thinking and continuous learning. [4:30] We do everything from dining etiquette for university graduates all the way to civil etiquette. [4:37] We started out as the etiquette ladies where we were doing courtesy camp for kids. [5:29] At that time I understood that you can teach children and change their attitude which changes the way they interact. [5:56] Over the years I have had a good fortune of aligning this with people and we currently have 520 affiliates in 47 countries. [6:36] I have been consistently been encouraged and stunned when people find support and encouragement regardless of their status. [8:19] When someone comes into our affiliate group, they have the benefit of all these people around the world with different perspectives. [8:42] I have had the opportunity to co-facilitate that spark. [9:05] We have affiliates who sign the paper and commit to the plan and started making payments three years later. [9:11] Over the years I have held on to the belief that there is more good than bad in the world and that if people knew better, then they would be better. [11:20] I find that we have to give people permission to be confident and experience what it feels like to be valued. [11:55 We have a global project that we are working on called work citizen and it is about sharing these teachings and knowledge. [12:14] Respect is something we all equally deserve because we are human and in the planet. [12:53] Each person has value, gift and contribution and we may not know it or be able to label it or even appreciate at that particular moment, but we have to acknowledge it. [12:59] If we just started there, imagine how different our interactions would be. [13:10] Civility can be as simple as knowing your neighbor's last name. Civility starts at home. [13:58] There is so much potential for good and it just a matter of believing that and making an effort to contribute in a way. [15:08] There is a lot of lonely in the world because we are fearful and the fear is founded on the perception that differences are scary or people are inherently bad. [17:10] Commercial break. [18:20] It is very hard to see other people's perspective if you are constantly in your little hole of mud. [20:31] Going into every situation anticipating that there's going to be something that you will learn whether you are going to use it right away or not. [21:04] There is always someone who can use some support and therefore making an effort to offer it before it is asked for. [21:50] Part of the civility definition is choosing civility as a non-negotiable point of character and the primary objective is to ease the experience of others. [22:00] Leaders should take on the service oriented approach and see what they can do for somebody else. [22:14] Don't be too hard on yourself but everyday get up one foot in front of another and it is shocking how much you can get done. [23:08] Realize that it is a privilege for people to give you their time and focus to listen to you, therefore you should acknowledge and commit to giving them something of value and show appreciation through your tone and demeanor. Otherwise that gift is not going to last very well. [24:25] I invite everyone to bring their best self in every interaction and you will find that civility is its own reward. [27:55] …………………………………………………. Thank you to our July Sponsor: Entrepreneur's Guide to Financial Well-Being Imagine starting a long journey without a map…or even a clear idea of the obstacles ahead. That's exactly what it's like for entrepreneurs who start companies with a lot of passion, but without the financial expertise to grow and scale their businesses and create long-term wealth for their families. Wayne Titus shows you how to find a financial adviser who can help you map a better journey. 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Jason Ulaszek is an experience designer, activist, entrepreneur, and educator. He is the founder of Inzovu, a design collective, and UX for Good, a nonprofit that aims to provide elegant solutions to messy problems. In this conversation, we discuss Jason's work on just such a problem: helping Rwandans heal after their 1994 genocide. Show notes Jason Ulaszek on LinkedIn @webbit on Twitter Inzovu UX for Good DePaul University Aegis Trust The Kigali Genocide Memorial The Inzovu Curve Tania Singer Ubumuntu Some show notes may include Amazon affiliate links. I get a small commission for purchases made through these links. Read the transcript Jorge: Jason, welcome to the show. Jason: Thank you very much. Jorge: I'm very excited to have you here. For folks who don't know you, can you please tell us about yourself? About Jason Jason: Sure! My name is Jason Ulaszek and I'm an experience designer. I say that broadly, but I enjoy, creative problem solving. The hairier and more complex the challenge, the further that it stretches your anxiety and vulnerability and desire to learn from others that you work with or the subject matter of who you're working with, to tackle a challenge, all the better. So, I don't know what role that really makes me outside of experience designer that pulls on a variety of different disciplines. That's me. I have an independent design collective called Inzovu, for the last several years, and I have a nonprofit called UX for Good and I teach and speak. I teach as an adjunct faculty at DePaul University in their master's design program and I look for all sorts of other ways to get into trouble sometimes! Jorge: You talked about the sorts of problems that you tackle as being "hairy and complex," and the reason why I wanted to speak with you on the show is because I saw you speak at a conference a few years ago, and you presented a project that stuck with me for a situation that I think fits the description of hairy and complex. It had to do with the Rwandan genocide. And I was hoping that you would tell us about that project. The Rwandan genocide Jason: Sure. Yeah, that's, you know, near and dear to hairy and complex problems and I'll say it's both impacted me personally and professionally in ways that I still think about today and still process and reflect upon on a regular basis. I have a nonprofit organization called UX for Good that we started years ago, at the center of what it was really about at that particular point in time for this story. We had really looked at social challenges in the world and nonprofits, NGOs looking at ways to address their response to their challenges in a different way. And, at the center of UX for Good was standing up design challenges with these types of nonprofit organizations and getting some of the best and brightest creative thinkers together to go through a design and innovation effort, if you will. So, we stumbled upon and had a rare opportunity come to light with meeting somebody, from an organization called Aegis Trust, who happened to also be a genocide survivor, share his testimony and a bit about their organization, Aegis Trust, several years ago, and developed a relationship with them. And one thing led to another and we wound up taking a team of international designers to work with Aegis Trust that had created and manages the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda to look at the visitor experience associated with that Memorial and Museum of which it is both... because connecting it to the story of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, there are more than a quarter million people who are laid to rest in mass graves along the hillside there, which is the Memorial part. And there is a museum that tells the story: the history of Rwanda, but in particular, the story of the '94 genocide. And we were very fortunate to partner with Aegis Trust and their challenge really around not wanting to create more memorials or museums necessarily, but to really harness this... what we both kind of felt was this excess capacity to help people to become perhaps better human beings. Jorge: Some folks listening might not be familiar with the Rwandan Genocide. What happened? Jason: Yeah, the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi took place between... the start of it was really kind of April 7th, 1994, and it ended in July that year. So, over the course of a few months' time, and of which took the lives of nearly a million individuals. And it was a mass atrocity, very similar to other mass atrocities we've probably heard stories about and was pretty raw. My exposure and experience to it, having not been to Rwanda or even Africa before, and hearing the story and listening to survivors, listening to others tell their testimony, hearing the story of the history and what transpired, was pretty profound. Nearly a million people lost their lives and, in many cases, extremely brutally. And in a country that [had] I think, maybe 14 million [people]? Something like that. You know, to have a million people no longer part of that country, that'd be almost like wiping out a good generation here in the United States, right? Jorge: Wow, that's really distressing to hear of something of that scale. The victims of the genocide, you said were the Tutsi. Who were the perpetrators? Jason: Yeah, over the history of Rwanda, classes developed in Rwanda. And, over that course of time, I'll just say that a lot of those things were kind of weaponized against their own community in some form or another. And so, that was the Hutus, and there was, a power struggle between those two predominate classes. And, over the course of time, a number of different, significant events continuing to ignite action by many Hutu. And I mean, there's so many stories about the '94 genocide against the Tutsi, but I mean, that's kind of at the highest level, I'd say. Jorge: It sounds to me like these were not — correct me if I'm wrong — that these were not racial distinctions, religious distinctions. It sounds like they had to do with... is it socio-economic class that you're talking about? Jason: Yeah. Power struggle, perspective — a variety of kind of just elements that existed within that. But the Tutsi and kind of moderate Hutu were in power and so there were a number of different acts that took place... pretty violent acts that took place, cascading into a significant mass atrocity and a supporting campaign to enable it. And these were significant acts. You know, we tend to think about maybe in this day and age, guns, right? And that was certainly part of it, but these were militant gangs going from town to town, village to village, home to home with things like machetes and rifles. This was extremely savage and brutal. Healing the rift Jorge: Wow. That is really distressing to hear of this... the depths to which divisions can lead to disaster. How does a society move on from something like that? Because it's... like you said the genocide lasted for a few months, and Rwanda still exists as a country. I'm assuming that the descendants of these people, and maybe some of these people as well, are still around. How does a society recover from something like that? Jason: Strong leadership, a strong sense of cultural values. Putting others first. There's an African proverb that I think... from an outsider's perspective, "I am because you are, you are because I am." You may have, heard that? It's pretty popular, but that's a really great way to describe, I think, the sense of it? You know, strong leadership, strong community organizers and people really who were influential in obviously stopping the genocide, but also leading the way and rebuilding. In 2014 when we worked with the Kigali Genocide Memorial and Aegis Trust, our mission was not about helping them to resolve conflict of genocide, but look at the visitor experience, around the Memorial and Museum, which is... when I say that, it is very broad and has led to a number of different things since that time, including work with helping them think about it how to distribute and scale their Peace and Values Education Program. And so, that Memorial and Museum is used as kind of a centerpiece to be able to drive an understanding of the story, to pull and push the connection with dignitaries and state leaders across all over the places around the world. There are a number of different types of people that come and visit, and the story is empowering and impactful in a variety of different ways. The director of tourism for Rwanda at that time said individuals come -tourists- to Rwanda for the two G's, somewhat jokingly, genocide and gorillas. To learn about that. And that's a big push, those two things, from a completely outsider's point. But what has to happen inside of visiting places like the Kigali Genocide Memorial is an understanding and connection to the stories so that people are so moved to not allow, to always condemn and stand up... condemn the wrong behavior and stand up for what's right after having learned that so that there are hopefully less challenges out into the world. What's really important is: it's an opportunity to help influence social change perspective. That's a big lofty, hairy goal, and doesn't happen just because you visited the Museum and the Memorial and took a tour. It's by how the information is distributed and how you connect with it and the stories that are told and who, and how, and what you interact with. And for some people that is something that transforms you there on the spot. Something that could transform you months and infect your, perspective or point of view months later. Depending upon who you are and how you have a tendency to... I'll say, 'reflect on that,' it can infect you in different ways and in different timelines. So, our work was to look at like how we might have a greater chance to influence the perspective of others, through the visitor experience. Our work, you know, research work there — all your typical forms of kind of design research — looking at the experience, not just digitally, but overall, the visitor experience, was pretty broad and also included going offsite, and looking at what kind of things that they were doing to support their mission, like these Peace and Values education workshops that they were doing in local villages for youth. We probably know elementary and middle school aged individuals that were having profound impact on the success of the country for the next generation as well. It was looking at all these different things that were occurring or not occurring and thinking about that. The design of that experience; what happens before, during and after, to help influence change. And we landed on a model, something called "The Inzovu Curve." The Inzovu Curve is, if you're a service designer, you're thinking about an experience map or a service blueprint of sorts. Let's abstract it far enough if it's the basis of it. But it looks at the distinction between all those interactions over the course of a journey... this distinction between empathy and compassion. And picks up, from some of the research at that time, we were learning about, from a neuroscientist named Tania Singer and her studies about empathy and compassion, and that too much empathy can actually lead to — potentially — a couple of different outcomes: 1) a burnout or 2) a shutdown. That was actually a really interesting moment for us as we were doing this work and doing our synthesis from all the research and study of the experience, because it was like a light bulb effect went on. I was like, "Whoa, wait a second!" Because we were able to use that to describe what the visitor experience was like. And in many cases, instances of where in amongst that experience, were likely so heavy handed in terms of developing empathy, that people were burning out and shutting down. Because people would exit the experience, have no means to process it, have no means to unpack it, not know what to do with it, sit on the bench in the hot sun, and just literally melt. Right? Literally, and physically melt, or just not know how to process. And so that's because there weren't enough moments to pause and collect yourself and reflect, or somebody there to help guide you through that process, or even show you ways that you yourself can act. Helping them to re-think and recalibrate that experience and what other things might be helpful to include in the experience because of some of these gaps, was where the work was at that point in time for us. They made, since that time, significant, different types of changes, both physically, architecturally, structurally... even now, in the last couple of years with some of the work that we've done, have launched some new programs and new ways of reaching people that I think is actually pretty interesting to the conversations we've been having about how to structure information environments and provide greater accessibility to some of this kind of insight and understanding. Jorge: This idea of giving people space to pause and collect themselves... and space might also be time, right? Am I understanding correctly that the Memorial and Museum project came 20 years after the genocide? Jason: Our project came 20 years after. The museum itself was created in 2004. Jorge: So, about a decade after. Jason: So, about 10 years after the genocide against the Tutsi. And that's when Aegis got involved. Two really wonderful human beings were so moved with their involvement there in Rwanda, actually from the UK. Two brothers, the Smith brothers, who do a lot of different things inside the space of helping to prevent crimes against humanity and telling their stories, started Aegis Trust and partnered with the Rwandan government to develop the museum and the memorial as well. And they have turned that into — over those years — a place that tries to balance both history, reflection, unity, reconciliation, celebration of arts and humanity. Because there's a number of different kinds of spaces there on the grounds. It's a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted thing. When I say, "experience," that's hard for a non-profit organization that's dependent upon international funds and aid and those sorts of things to do. To continue to evolve, in that nature. Many of us as designers are used to working with heavily funded corporate organizations. There was some startup that's got some venture capital and you're focused on cranking out iterations of digital products and services with as much velocity as you can, right? That's... this is slow change. And it's not just a digital thing. It's like, "okay, this connects to this and this person who tells this story." I'll give an example. One of the things that we found was challenging was there really wasn't a great starting place at that point in time. When we first visited, you would get out of your car, you would go down into a plaza, and was like, where do I start? You start in museum building... there was a little lobby there, but that really wasn't as great of an opportunity to orient you about what you're about to see. Over time we've worked with them now to develop some design principles about the Memorial and the Museum itself, the overall experience. And that's led to them building a new... I'll call it a visitor center. And I mean that from the broadest sense. It's just the place to start. It's a place where you're welcomed, where they now have before you go through the Museum and the grounds and Memorial — as a visitor, not as a family member or necessarily a Rwandan, who's just coming to pay respects, maybe more so if you're coming from like a school group, a school tour, or just the general visitor — that you're oriented by sitting and watching and being welcomed to the experience by some genocide survivors. That's important because first and foremost, the Kigali Genocide Memorial is home for more than a quarter million people who lost their lives and all their loved ones that come and pay respect. If you didn't have something like that to set the tone, it can come off much more as a... like, "we go to the museum!" Let's go to the cultural arts center or the whatever. Which is a different vibe. Over time, it's got to continually shift and change to set those expectations that you were an invited guest into this world and start to prepare you, much like when you organize information. There's a big reveal to get into the depths of information. In order to do that, you've got to start by setting kind of the framework a bit. So, that was a big change that they made. And also including some other parts of the experience to showcase and talk about the work that had been done and continues to be done out in the field around the Peace and Values education, which has now become a really big piece because through our work, what we believe is that Rwanda has really tapped into kind of the secret code, if you will, around unity and reconciliation. They are experts in it, from my point of view. Learning from the Rwandan experience Jorge: I know you're not from Rwanda, but I'm very curious, given that the United States, where we're both living, is living through a period of great polarization, where half the population has a set of values and perspectives, and the other half of the population has a different set of values and perspectives. And I'm wondering if, as someone who knows both cultures and who has been exposed to these principles of peace and reconciliation, if there's anything that we can take from that experience that would help start healing the rifts between us, maybe? Jason: Yeah. We talk about a word... I think it's so overplayed and over pronounced so much time, the word 'empathy.' That's an important part of what you can take away from this story. What was part of the Rwandans cultural value system well before the genocide against the Tutsi and is now swung fully back — and they're working hard to ensure that that's the case — is a really strong sense of cultural values. What they've really tapped into — and I think this is where it gets into design a bit — is that they've tapped into ways to embody these cultural values inside of the experiences people have within education. And there are lots of different ways that they have work to focus on unity and reconciliation inside of the country, amongst its people. I'm speaking on just one element, right? There's lots! But in this particular one, the Peace and Values education that Aegis Trust has been working on with the community and with the government, is now part of the national education system. It wasn't before, because there was still not finalization of agreement around the history and the facts that occurred and did not occur. As you can imagine, recounting and putting down on paper and getting agreement on what happened over the course of a mass atrocity event is not a small feat and took years and years to get to that point. So much so that they weren't even teaching that inside of the school system. These Peace and Values education programs were like mobile workshops that would go out in different villages and teachers would take their kids to these seminars, these workshops, or they would take them to the Genocide Memorial for these workshops for the day where they would learn about these cultural values. And now since that time, since the success and the positive impact that these things have had, now they're teaching them inside of the classroom. It's a cross-disciplinary way of embodying things like critical thinking in science class, empathy in science class. Rather than having a class on empathy, it's woven through the education that you receive as a youth. I think that's a huge piece to this. Think about the disparity around education in the United States for just a small moment. I can't even begin to describe that, but it is... you can find wide variances, not necessarily by the subject matter, like third grade math, but by how things are infused throughout that, right? Throughout the country, I would bet. And so, that's a challenge. There isn't a... I'd say in the United States, as strong of a connected effort around some of these things. Around empathy and critical thinking and personal responsibility, as much as maybe there should be in our education system. But they're focusing heavily on that for the next generation. And they're putting tools in the hands of teachers and school leaders and community leaders and religious leaders and moms and dads. In fact, some of the work that we've done in the last couple of years was to help craft a bit of a brand around that and a bit of a story and a digital platform to support that. Because it was like locked up in CD rom drives, and flash drives. And just up until several years ago, not everybody in the country had access to electricity or running water. I mean, it's still an ongoing thing. And think about access to broadband, to the internet, to dial up? I mean, how do you get- these materials? So, they're making a lot of investments in the country and in local communities in those sorts of things, but distributing the Peace and Values education was one of them. We helped them craft this brand called "Ubumuntu." And it's translated in Kinyarwanda to mean "greatness of heart." And that is a symbol that embodies these Peace and Values, and they're using it to help further a connection. It's a storytelling device, in many different ways, not just for delivering Peace and Values education in this digital platform, but also connecting people when they visit the Memorial Museum near and far, both in person and virtually. Making values tangible Jorge: It sounds to me like the Memorial and museum serves this role of making the shared values tangible. Like giving people a thing to point to much like the Statue of Liberty is an icon of something. right. But, to your point, it sounds like coming up with an icon to help align our values is only something that can happen when enough time has passed, where the wounds are not still raw, right? Jason: Yeah. I mean, I think so. I've had the opportunity and privilege to sit and talk with genocide survivors. To be in reconciliation villages, where you have survivor and perpetrators sitting next to each other and listen and watch and interview them and talk with them. And I think the biggest thing that I take away is this is not... it's not done, over. It's not like, "Hey, it's, you know... X number of years passed, and we came up with a symbol that, you know, and we're doing all these things. Like it's an ongoing, like thing, like... you know, there are people who are coming out of prison and rejoining community and being integrated back into society and they have to you know, go through a process that's mandated by the government based upon their crime, and work on reconciliation. And it's a pretty serious deal, as it should be. Those are other elements, as I mentioned, like the Peace and Values education is a thing. But the unity and reconciliation stuff is yet another thing. And so, I've had an opportunity to sit in on some of those conversations and I will say, it's not... I think people think about these things and they think, "oh, that generation you know forgives the other person." And I think the biggest thing to me is it's... while there may be cases of that — people forgiving — so many times people have said, you know, "use that word loosely." And what they really mean is that I'm forgiving you for the next generation and I'm putting others ahead of myself and knowing that the only way to improve our chances of unity as a country, as a people, is to focus on the next generation. And that I'll... I may never forgive you. I don't forgive you. You're doing your time and we're constantly working on it. Forgiveness is an act. It's not a finality, right? You know, that people put others before themselves. They have used the word and they — I don't want to stereotype — I have heard in the interviews that I've sat in on has been more about personal sacrifice for survivors, in many cases, and the desire to ensure that that never happens again to the next generation. There are so many people who are involved working at so many different levels inside that country, inside that people, to help ensure that it doesn't happen ever again. It's unbelievable how progressive the country is in terms of its thinking and being. Are things perfect in it? No. Are things perfect in the United States? No. But to see that from an outsider's perspective and be connected to people that are actively working in the throes of it all is really remarkable. I mean, the amount of female leadership in the Rwandan ministry and cabinet, is I think it's 60% or more or something. I mean, that's wow! Right? As it should be, right? A well-balanced progressive society to get it out of where it was once. Closing Jorge: It sounds to me like it would benefit us to learn from the Rwandan experience, to find a way to develop our own greatness of heart. And it sounds like it requires perspective, which comes over time and alignment in values, which come over time. And it sounds like there are small steps that we as designers can take to help move things in that direction. I want to thank you for coming on the show and telling us about these things. I am sure that folks are going to want to learn more about you and your work. Where can they go? Jason: Sure. The best way is probably to just connect with me on LinkedIn. You can visit me on LinkedIn. Sometimes on... I'm on and off again on social media, like Twitter and Facebook, but LinkedIn is generally the best place. Otherwise, you can visit in inzovu.co, or uxforgood.org. And I look forward to connecting with you there. Jorge: And I will include links to all of those in the show notes. Thank you so much, Jason, for being with us today Jason: Absolutely. My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

Stephen D. Smith, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor of Religion at the University of Southern California and the Executive Director of the USC Shoah Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to making audio-visual interviews with survivors and witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides a compelling voice for education and action. He also holds the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education. Stephen founded the UK Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire, England and co-founded the Aegis Trust for the prevention of crimes against humanity and genocide. In recognition of his work, Stephen has become a member of the Order of the British Empire and received the Interfaith Gold Medallion. In this episode of How Do You Do? Podcast, Ben asks Stephen to share what it was like being interviewed for the executive director job by Shoah Foundation founder Steven Spielberg and what the job entails (2:13); the metrics he uses to evaluate the organization's success (19:32), how he interviews survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides (23:59), and more. Follow us! Stephen D. Smith: @uscshoahfoundation ( https://www.instagram.com/uscshoahfoundation/ ) How Do You Do? Podcast: @hdydpod ( https://www.instagram.com/hdydpod/ ) Ben Hannani: @benhannani ( https://www.instagram.com/benhannani/ ) Website: www.hdydpod.com ( https://www.hdydpod.com/ ) Our guests' jams can be found on the "HDYD Jams" playlist ( https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4tBdUz3kXb1T5im2CzSBUV?si=qc_DgVSCR1W65phsuv6vVQ ) on Spotify!

Dr. Lew Bayer has a different perspective of life. She is so brilliant, very educated & has many awards. Dr. Lew Bayer believes that “Civility is its own reward”. She suggests that “In choosing civility, people find their best self, & in doing so, they experience the grace, courage, generosity, humanity, & humility that civility engenders.” For more than 20 years Lewena Bayer has been internationally recognized as the leading expert on civility at work. With a focus on social intelligence & culturally-competent communication, the team at Civility Experts – which includes 501 affiliates in 48 countries has supported 100's of organizations in building better workplaces. In addition to her role as CEO of international Civility training group Civility Experts Inc. which includes The Civility Speakers Bureau and Propriety Publishing. Lew is Chair of the International Civility Trainers' Consortium, President of The Center for Organizational Cultural Competence, & Founder of the In Good Company Etiquette Academy Franchise Group www.ingoodcompanyetiquette.com and www.Highstyleimage.com Mos t recently, Lew was selected as an International Advocate for Aegis Trust, a UK based organization focused on peace education & the prevention of genocide. She is also an Education Chair for www.globalgoodwillambassadors.org. Recently, Dr. Bayer has been assigned the privilege of being named Ambassador of Global Knowledge Exchange and a Master Educator in Global Teachers Academy. Including 2-time, international bestseller, The 30% Solution, & the pending December release of several new books, Manufacturing Civility, Civility at Work, Golden Rule Peace & Civility Lew is a 17-time published author. Lew donates her time as Director of the National Civility Center and co-founder of the Golden Rule Civility Global Initiative, she is also a proud mentor for The Etiquette House, a member of the Advisory Board for A Civil Tongue, was a national magazine columnist for 10 years, and has contributed expert commentary to many online, print, and television publications. Lew is one of only 14 Master Civility Trainers in the world, a distance faculty member at Georgetown University Center for Cultural Competence, a long-term facilitator at the Canadian Management Center in Toronto Canada, Instructor – Social Justice at MITT, a Master trainer for the Canadian School of Service, a certified High Style Impression Management Professional and a Certified Culture Coach® who also holds credentials in Intercultural Communications, Essential Skills, and Occupational Language Assessment. Most recently Lew has completed the Champions of Humanity Master Peace Educator Certificate Program at the Kigali Peace School in Rwanda. Lew has been recognized at World Civility Day three consecutive years for her contributions in the field of civility with a Community Civility Counts Award, and she was recently nominated for Women of Distinction, Woman of Influence, and the Canadian Woman Entrepreneur of the year. She was previously awarded Manitoba Woman Entrepreneur in International Business and she was the first Canadian to receive the prestigious AICI International Civility Star Award. In 2018 Lew was acknowledged for her work as co-founder of Golden Rule Civility Global Initiative & presented with the International Person of the Year Award by iChange Nations. In May 2018 she was presented with a US Congressional Educator Award. She has been recommended for a position in the Canadian Senate and also under consideration as Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago. In April 2019, the Global Peace Federation awarded Lew the International Peace Ambassador Award. To learn more about Dr. Lewena Bayer and the Civility Experts Worldwide group of companies, please visit the Media Room at:http://www.civilityexperts.com/media/ all of Dr. Lew Bayer social media will be Lew Bayer or Dr. Lew Bayer you will find more information.

Steve Noah has a resume with a list of accomplishments stretching across the globe, but he doesn't place any stock in such a tally. I asked Steve, this week's guest on #thedeliciousstory, what stages of his impressive work history were part of his “A plan.” This turned out to be a silly question, however, because as he explained some of the highlights developed from no plans at all. Also, he is the first to admit that his professional past is strewn with as many failures as successes—most of them developing organically. It was the busts which led to some of the most interesting opportunities, too, leading down path's he had not even considered.So buckle up and prepare for a whirlwind tour that is both fascinating and inspiring. Steve's story just proves the point that there are always possibilities to explored with mistakes, and often it's those unexpected twists where the ride gets most interesting.A bonus of this week's episode is picking up a bit of wisdom from Steve, who has seen and done enough to last several lifetimes. Steve shares insight that he has gleaned from his travels and from the people he has met through interactions with leaders and influencers all over the world. THE MIRACLE OF RWANDAWe will dive into Steve's latest chapter, one that has led him and his wife Jane to expand their family to include Rwandan relatives. Steve has recently completed a book called, “Rwanda: A Personal Journey,” chronicling the first 25 trips there, including one with their 5-year-old grandson. For Steve and Jane, Rwanda has morphed into a life-changing purpose and drive as they work with Rwandan leaders to help educate some of the country's brightest and most talented youth. This venture which started as a partnership between William Penn and the Rwandan government began 23 years after the horrific Rwandan Genocide.Rwanda's history from a colonized country to its independence provides a deeply complex background, including much infighting among Rwandans. Fast forward to 2017: Rwandans have achieved a peace, and improved relations among its people to the point where the government was open to such forays. Steve's partnership with the country in seeking higher education for Rwandan youth is nothing short of a marvel. His book provides a fascinating account of experiences and negotiations to create the program at William Penn, that facilitates the higher education for Rwandan students. A FUNGI FEAST IN THE YUNNAN PROVINCE OF CHINAThere were proteins involved in Steve's memorable meal, which I'll let you discover as you listen to the interview, but for this post, I'll focus on the fungi he mentions. It turns out that the Yunnan province of China is home to the most extensive varieties of fungi in the world. Each year when the mushroom season hits locals and tourists go foraging in search for a range of fungi that blow the mind of someone like me who is only familiar with maybe four types. The shapes, colors, and sizes of these wild mushrooms are an extraordinary window into the capacity of nature to produce so many different kinds of fungi. There is even one that grows out of an insect. For all those that are edible, there are as many that aren't which sometimes leads to unfortunate outcomes for foragers, but the mushrooms of the region are abundant and have led to a billion-dollar industry. You can read some of the fascinating details of these fungi, and this province over at Go Kunming in the article titled, “Exploring the Curious World of Yunnan Mushrooms.”China has long understood the medicinal benefits of fungi, but in recent decades, Western medicine has become more interested as well. Over at NPR, the article, “Mushrooms are Good for You But Are They Medicine?” details a myriad of possible health benefits being explored, including help for cancer and dementia patients. I hadn't thought of it but found the growth process of mushrooms fascinating. As per Vickie Sabaratnam, the scientist in charge of the mushroom research center at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the primary function of mushrooms is to recycle large molecules in the environment which then turn into the “fruit bodies,” of the fungi. THE LEGACY GOALSA little mushroom hunting for information aside, I found Steve's insights toward the close of our visit to be hugely inspiring and think you will, too. Steve considers this most recent chapter to be one of his major contributions to the world, and thankfully, it is this kind of engagement with purpose that keeps Steve moving along. The concept of staying purposeful no matter your stage of life is one I never tire of hearing. I believe it is the golden ticket to living a life that is full, rich, and adventurous, and it doesn't even need to be as expansive as Steve's to get you there. MORE ABOUT THE PHOTOThe Aegis trust of Great Britain is an organization focused on preventing genocide in the world. On March 5th the presented World Food Prize President, Ambassador Kenneth Quinn with the Steven Krulis Champion of Humanity Distinguished Service Award in The Home Dining Room in the House of Lords in London. The award was in recognition of Ken Quinn's efforts to make the world aware of the Genocide in Cambodia and for ultimately defeating the Khmer Rouge from 1973-1999. The Aegis Trust has been in existence for 19 years, and this is just the second time that this award has been bestowed. I had the privilege of introducing Ken Quinn three times; in Rwanda on February 28th, in Nottinghamshire on March 3rd and in the House of Lords on March 5th. A Des Moines Register article features the story.

This edition contains: after the UN accused Myanmar military of attempting to ethnically cleanse the muslim Rohingya population, Azeem Ibrahim, senior fellow at the Centre for Global Policy, and James Smith, co-founder of the Aegis Trust, which works to prevent genocide, examines the situation there and the psychology of a population that allows such atrocities; the journalist Malachi O'Doherty looks at life in Northern Ireland without its own government; are tech corporations becoming the new arbiters of free speech? Jodie Ginsberg, CEO of Index on Censorship, and broadcaster and professor of television journalism at City University London, Stewart Purvis, discuss, and 10 years on from the financial crash, Douglas Fraser speaks to RBS CEO Ross McEwan about the events of September 2008 and where the bank finds itself now.

Increasing resilience against violence is the aim of Aegis Trust’s peace education programme in Rwanda. Increasing resilience against violence is the aim of Aegis Trust’s peace education programme in Rwanda. Achieved through building empathy, critical thinking, trust and commitment to action, the programme was integrated into the Rwandan National Curriculum in 2016. Aegis works with the Rwandan Education Board to train teachers and develop learning and teaching resources. Rwandan educators are adapting their approach as a tool for prevention in unstable states, notably in Central African Republic.

Mukesh Kapila, CBE is Professor of Global Health and Humanitarian Affairs at the University of Manchester. He is also Special Representative of the Aegis Trust for the prevention of crimes against humanity, and Chair of Minority Rights Group International. His book "Against a Tide of Evil", published by Mainstream (Random House Group) was released in March 2013. Professor Kapila has extensive experience in the policy and practice of international development, humanitarian affairs, human rights and diplomacy, with particular expertise in tackling crimes against humanity, disaster and conflict management, and in global public health. Previously he was Under Secretary General at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the world's largest humanitarian and development network. Earlier, he served the United Nations in different roles as Special Adviser to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva and then Special Adviser at the UN Mission in Afghanistan. Subsequently, he led the UN's largest country mission at the time as the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sudan, and then became a Director at the World Health Organization.

The Sudan365 campaign (www.sudan365.org) has been organised by a coalition of groups including Aegis Trust, Human Rights Watch, Save Darfur Coalition, Italians for Darfur, the Norway Sudan Forum, Refugees International, Sudan Advocacy Action Forum, Sudan Democracy First Group, African Centre for Peace and Justice, Darfur Consortium and Arab Coalition for Darfur. The campaign is targeting the ‘Guarantors' of Sudan's Comprehensive Peace Agreement; those governments and institutions such as the US, UK, Kenya, Eg